Love Beyond The Looking Glass
by JinxWriter
Summary: Sequel to "Eugene In Wonderland." After their adventures in Wonderland, Eugene and Pyxunoid were able to get back to a normal life. But with strange new ability cards, a blossoming romance, mixed feelings, and a jealous lover in a way, will her life be anything BUT normal? That all started with the Looking Glass and a visitor from Wonderland...co-written with ShunKazamis-Girl.
1. Chapter 1

Love Beyond the Looking Glass: Chapter 1

**IMPORTANT NOTICE: PLEASE READ "EUGENE IN WONDERLAND" BY JESSEGLENNFAN (JINXWRITER'S OLD ACCOUNT) BEFORE READING THIS IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THIS FANFIC. **

* * *

Skylark stretched his arms lazily as he got out of bed. Things have always been peaceful around Wonderland. He fetched a cup of tea from the kitchen near his cozy little room that Red King had supplied him as the new ruler of Wonderland ever since Grey King's death and Thunder's imprisonment. He slipped into his shoes and headed out of the room, walking down the hallway as each of the castle guards greeted him.

"Yes, good morning, everyone." he greeted back. Suddenly Jumbo, a bird-like creature resembling a Lear's Macaw, saw him as he was making his way out to the courtyard.

"Good morning, Skylark! How was your nightly sleep?" Jumbo asked.

"Marvelous, thank you for asking. Tell me Jumbo, have you ever seen such a lovelier scene?" Skylark asked as they walked outside. Jumbo observed the scenery and a small smile appeared to his face. There were various coloured flowers that lit up the courtyard, surrounded by varying trees with a huge fountain in the middle. Chairs lined up around it to compliment its looks.

"Of course I haven't, Skylark. It's amazing that all of this survived. I simply cannot imagine what would happen if the battle we faced was lost." said Jumbo.

Skylark looked down as his smile turned into a slight frown. That very feeling still bothered him to this day, constantly aching in his heart. Grey King and his son, Thunder, had almost killed all of his people in battles during his reign, but they were lucky enough to even survive. However, if either of them had a bigger army and stronger firepower, could they have successfully taken over Wonderland? Or even unknown lands beyond that place?

* * *

Meanwhile in the town of Bayview, the English-speaking district of Osaka, Japan, there was a very different story going on over there. Eugene Kang, a 17-year-old girl with long black hair and dark brown eyes, was getting ready for a big day with her family. Eagerly turning off her alarm clock and changing into a white and blue striped top with blue buttons and jeans, she hurried downstairs where she greeted her parents. "Morning~!" She sang out as she headed for her place in the dining table. **  
**

"What's going on with you today, sweetie?" asked her mom while washing the dishes. The bubbly, energetic notes from the K-pop song "Lipstick" by Orange Caramel was playing from the iPad 3 as music filled the dining room. *****

"Well, it's my best friend Emma's birthday party! She's gonna be 18 this year!" said Eugene, squealing with excitement as she mentioned her new best friend, Emma Blakeston. **  
**

"What time's the party?" Her dad asked as he grabbed his jacket and briefcase, his left hand occupied by a few papers.

"Well, Dan texted me last week and said it's going to be at noon. He, Marucho, Tanya and Shauna are going," She explained as she revealed the details from the text Dan sent earlier.

"That's nice." said her mom. Eugene smiled even wider as she continued to eat her breakfast.

* * *

Skylark walked back inside the castle with Jumbo. They continued talking about the past battle in Wonderland before they were interrupted by Elfy, an elf with a white-and-red cap. He hurried over with a bronze envelope, gasping for air and falling to his knees.

Skylark bent down to help him to his feet.

"What's wrong, boy?" Jumbo asked.

"I bring this message from his royal majesty. He gave me this letter addressed to Skylark," said Elfy.

Jumbo turned to Skylark as he took the letter out of his hands. It just read '**To Skylark Hatter**' in elaborate handwriting. Growing confused, he tore the envelope open and took out a folded piece of paper. He unfolded it and realized it was a letter addressed to him. He read through the paragraphs carefully as his eyes widened with growing horror. After he was finished reading, the paper fell right out of his hands, slowly landing on the floor.

"Are you ok, Skylark?" Jumbo asked. All he got was Skylark dropping to his knees with a horrified look on his face. His already silvery-pale skin was turning into a corpse white. Elfy and Jumbo looked at each other confused. He didn't say anything at first, as he couldn't find the words to speak.

"I'm…I'm getting married!" Skylark suddenly said out loud. Dread started to sink in as he said those words. His companions ended up with their mouths dropped open with surprise. Him… getting married? To who?

* * *

Back in Bayview, Eugene ran down near the road leading to Emma's house, too focused on making her way to the birthday party. Hopefully she would make it in time, but thanks to her worried mother nagging about playing it safe when alone, she grew short on time. Her guardian bakugan, Ventus Pyxunoid, had trouble catching up with her.

"Eugene, could you please slow down?! My wings can't carry me that far!" he snapped. His body in ball form started to sink due to exhaustion but he struggled to stay upright as he hovered nearby.

"I'm sorry, Pyxunoid, but I'm running late!" Eugene exclaimed, also growing tired from speeding up. Pyxunoid groaned as they hurried to her friend's house, the minutes swiftly passing away. The only things crossing her mind were the words 'Please make it, please make it…'.

* * *

Skylark opened the doors to his room and plopped himself on his bed, clearly stressed out by the unexpected event approaching. He could not believe he was getting married, not only to a girl, but he really did not think he would be marrying the one who displayed little meaning to him. Jumbo and Elfy rushed into the room to check on him.

"I can't believe I'm getting married… and to her!" He kept saying as he paced around the room with anxiety. *****

"Who is she?" Elfy asked.

"Her name is Marina, and she's a chaotic soul. Her father, Reginald Sr., is one of the richest men in all of Wonderland. It says here in the letter that he's going to arrange an engagement party next week for me and Marina." explained Skylark.

"An engagement party?" asked Jumbo.

"Yes. Maria and I used to date years ago. Her father used to spoil her a lot and she was really rude to my friends back when I used to be in school. I broke up with her once I found out her type of personality."

"Then why are you marrying her? Don't you love that one other girl? Uh… Eugene?" Elfy asked hesitantly, his fingers straining the cap he was wearing.

Skylark's eyes lit up at the sound of that name; he nearly forgot about her when she left, but thankfully, he always had a place for her in his heart. He really did still love her, but now with this arranged marriage to his former girlfriend, Marina, could he really still be together with her? Sighing, he stuffed the letter in a drawer and headed out of the room, his two friends following close behind.

* * *

At Emma's house, guests were arriving all over the place. Shauna Larson and Tanya Preston, two of Eugene's best friends, chatted with Emma, telling jokes and gossiping about their boyfriends. Little kids ran around with toy guns, pretending to shoot each other, while the adults were busy putting out presents and hanging decorations outside. Balloons and streamers in shades of pale pink, powder blue, lilac, lemon yellow, and mint green accented the living room, making the place lively with shades of spring. Eugene placed her Harajuku bag against the wall and ran over to the three girls. **  
**

"Hey Emma!" she said, making her way through other family members to greet them.

"Oh, hi Eugene!" said Emma, giving her friend a hug. Shauna and Tanya did the same as Eugene embraced them all one by one. "We almost thought you couldn't make it."

"What'd I miss?" She asked.

"Not much; everything's not ready yet." said Shauna.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Dan and Marucho are helping my dad make the cake. My aunt and uncle are still wrapping presents." Emma explained.

"Seriously? They're not prepared?" Eugene asked. The three girls nodded. Sighing, Eugene hung out as she joined into the conversation with her friends, with Pyxunoid wandering off to find the other bakugan. Maybe she'll help Dan and Marucho out with the cake later, if they would allow her.

* * *

The rest of the day, Skylark lay in his room, thinking all about the sudden marriage he had been targeted in. If Marina came back for him, why did she not give him any warning? Why a marriage all of a sudden? Was it because people don't want him to rule Wonderland alone? Not that he was against the idea, but still, he didn't want to marry her. Rolling over in bed, he felt his stomach clench up with a nauseous feeling every time he thought about the wedding.

What really bothered him the most, however, were his newfound feelings for Eugene, the one who helped him and his friends defeat the Grey King. Part of him wished that he could go to Earth and be with her, but it was impossible to make it happen.

Whether he liked the prospect of being married or not, he was stuck in an endless rut. The kind that would drag on and plague him for the rest of his life in all of Wonderland.

* * *

To Be Continued…

JinxWriter: This story will be co-written with one of my fanfic buddies, ShunKazamis-Girl. We both like getting reviews, so get them in! ;)

**ShunKazamis-Girl: Yeah, and in case if you're wondering about pairings, it'll contain the following: Eventual "OC"XOC, ShunXOC, GunzXOC, DanXRuno, Spectra/KeithXOC, implied JulieXBilly, implied AceXMira, and one-sided OCXOC. **

Disclaimer: We don't own the brawlers, Bayview/Osaka, Wardington/Tokyo, or any of the bakugan. Most of the OCs as well as OC bakugans and creatures all belong to JinxWriter. The following two mentioned here, Eugene Kang and Pyxunoid, belongs to ShunKazamis-Girl.


	2. Chapter 2

Love Beyond the Looking Glass: Chapter 2

**IMPORTANT NOTICE: YOU MUST ALSO READ "GUNZ IN LOVE" BEFORE READING THE ENTIRE STORY, SINCE THIS IS ALSO SORT OF A SEQUEL TO THIS STORY. YOU MUST ALSO READ "SPECTRA'S CRUSH" AND "SHUN'S LOVE STORY" BEFORE THIS. THESE ARE ALSO UNDER JINXWRITER'S OLD ACCOUNT, WHICH IS JESSEGLENNFAN.**

Before this following chapter goes any further, please take some time to think: Do you remember what happened in Lewis Carroll's story, 'Alice In Wonderland'? When a girl named Alice followed a white rabbit down the rabbit hole and ended up in a place called Wonderland? Now ask yourself this: What would you do if somebody from _Wonderland_ travelled in that similar fashion, but ended up in _our world_? The one we also know as _Earth_?

If you want to know why this peculiar question is important, you will soon find out…

* * *

"-and I don't have to deal with exams right now! So I get some more time to spend with you guys." Tanya finished as she answered Shauna's question about her current experiences at Bayview University, the post-secondary destination she was now attending, as she was done with high school. As she took over most of the conversation, Eugene fiddled around with the hem of her blue and white top as she listened to her story.

"Hey, I just remembered something," Emma began to say after a couple minutes of silence. "Eugene, I wanna ask you something." That statement immediately caught Eugene's attention, as she adjusted her sitting position and moved closer to her.

"Ok… what is it?" This made Eugene slightly nervous as Emma's voice suddenly shifted into a slight melancholy tone.

"Tanya, Shauna, and I all have boyfriends-"

"And Rin; she's dating that British guy while in Bakugan City."

"Yeah, but the point is, you're the only one who's… not dating. Doesn't that make you feel lonely?" Shauna managed to finish without causing awkwardness between her and the three other girls, although she was struggling to do so. Now that Eugene thought about it though, Emma and Shauna _did_ have a point; of all her friends here in Bayview (not counting the brawlers or online friends), her current relationship status was single. Forever alone. Never went on a date, never shared a first kiss, never even caught a guy's attention beyond asking him to a brawl. It wasn't so bad, in her opinion, but it would leave an empty void in her social life, as if there was a black hole swirling around in her body. She _does_ know dating advice, but that didn't mean she _actually_went on a date, let alone even _loving_ a guy (romantically). Sometimes Eugene secretly wished that she could have a boyfriend like Tanya, Shauna, and Emma (as well as Rin Ryuu, her other BFF from America), but she was content with what she had, no matter what the status. And yet…

"Is it a bad thing?" She asked uncertainly.

"What? No, no, no! TOTALLY not a bad thing!" Tanya tried to reassure Eugene, who started to get poisoned by guilt. "I mean, being forever alone is ok, but we just don't want you left out." She explained.

Allowing her previous emotions to wash over, she replacedthe momentary depression with calmness and a small smile. "I know, but I don't mind being the only one not dating. You guys deserve to be with someone anyway." Eugene said, being sincerly honest. Besides, she couldn't tell them the real reasons why she wasn't completely ready for a boyfriend yet... as much as she wanted to tell them, she just couldn't...

Before her friends could say another word, they spotted Emma's dad carrying a delicious-looking chocolate cake decorated with bits of artisan dark and white chocolate. Dan and Marucho also appeared as they followed him, with smudges of chocolate icing in their cheeks. Eugene giggled a bit as she saw the two brawlers; the chocolate on the cheeks looked a bit like dirt and it made them look cuter. They looked so _kawaii_.

"Hey Emma!" Dan called out, waving his arms around. "Cake's ready~!"

"Ok!" Emma yelled back before leading Tanya, Shauna, and Eugene to their places in the table that was set up outside. The rest of Emma's family and the bakugan, along with Pyxunoid, arrived moments later and also made it to their spots. As her family, her friends, and the bakugan all sang 'Happy Birthday' (in English, of course), Emma watched the little flames dancing in the eighteen candles, white-hot and burning. She wondered what kind of birthday wish she could make as the lights flared up. Straight A's for upcoming exams? Having that awesome battle launcher? Winning more battles with Haos Silverwolf, her new guardian bakugan? A trip to Tokyo Disneyland? A longer-lasting relationship with Gunz Lazar, her boyfriend? Man, it was so hard to decide, as Emma cannot come up with anything at first. Then, after looking at her friends and giving them a smile, she made up her mind. After the song was over, she blew out the candles and finally made her wish.

But Eugene and the others didn't know was that Emma actually made a wish that somehow affected a certain someone from a distant land…

* * *

Skylark walked out of his room and came back outside just before the sun started to set, smelling the fresh rose-scented air. It was a bright and beautiful day in Wonderland, even as its sun was about to wane, but to him, it felt like the most miserable day of his entire life. Throughout most of the day, he had been plagued with images and thoughts about the very fact that he had to marry Marina, his ex-'lover' and the nightmare of his life. He didn't want to admit this, but he needed to find himself out of this situation and fast, or else it would be too late for him.

"_Great Kettle of Grief_… _what did I do to deserve this fate_?" He found himself asking that question in his mind; he didn't do anything wrong. He was only-

"Skylark?" Asked a voice from behind that now interrupted his thoughts. Skylark turned his head around and saw Jumbo, who immediately knew what was going on through his friend's head. "I know what's troubling you." He said. "You're worried about the engagement party. I for sure wouldn't marry someone who sounds just as awful as Marina."

The Hatter sighed. "I know. But what can I do, Jumbo? You know Eugene's the only one I truly love," He said. Jumbo scratched his beak with his wing for a moment before coming up with a solution. He motioned Skylark to lean forward and began whispering some inaudible words into his ear, making his eyes widened considerably; whatever that plan was, it may not exactly allow him to obtain that one girl he truly desired for, but it should at least help him escape from what shall happen...

Not far away from Red King's castle in Wonderland, a young woman was sitting in a room inside a large mansion somewhere, looking out from the dome-shaped window and observing the scenery as the sun was about to set. She had long elaborately curled-up red hair with the left side cut completely short, quartz-pink eyes, and light-coloured skin. She also appeared to be wearing a white lace dress with matching gloves, a choker beaded with small blood rubies, and a black bread-and-butterfly silk belt tied around her waist. She had a radiant smile on her face and a dazzling look in her eyes. To some, she would've been considered the most gorgeous, heavenly, and innocent-looking being in all of Wonderland. That is, unless if one could look closer at the deviousness and scheming that lurked within. Suddenly, her daydreaming was interrupted when she heard someone knocking on the door.

"Come in!" She yelled in an annoyed tone; who could be the one interrupting her tranquil time at this hour?

"Forgive me for intrusion, Miss Marina, but your father wants you to come downstairs; hewishes to have a word with you." That voice came from the butler of the mansion. He seemed to be nervous in her presence, although he did his best not to show it.

Marina growled and shot up from her seat and said in a serious yet enraged tone, "I will be out when I want to be! Stop interrupting my thoughts!" She then grabbed a pillow nearby from her bed and threw it at the butler's face, smacking him right in the middle. He went off balance and fell over in shock, dazed from the surprise attack she lashed out. Sensing her glare, he immediately rose up and recomposed himself as much as he could without falling again.

"Yes, Miss Marina." The butler said, attempting to brush that little incident off as if it never happened. He immediately closed the door and made his way out, leaving Marina perfectly alone to settle into her daydreams and thoughts once again.

In her opinion, there were chances that her father, Reginald Crimm Sr., would want to speak to her about her willingness to marry the man she once tried to flirt and to court on, as well as if she could handle the responsibility of ruling Wonderland. But she was definitely certain about the choices she made; besides, not only did she want to rule this place as the rightful queen, but she also had a score to settle with him….

Peering out from the window for the millionth time, she noticed that the sun was gone and the moon took its place as well as its multi-coloured companions, the stars. Gathering up the web-like lacy skirts in her hands, Marina Crimm quickly headed towards downstairs.

* * *

"OMG, I'm so tired~" Eugene announced later at night as she lied down in bed, her face resting on the pillow. The sounds were muffled from the pillow's fabric, but she didn't mind it. Sure, she had a lot of fun at Emma's birthday party, playing games with the other guests, chatting with her friends, and watching Drago being chased by hyperactive younger kids (Emma's cousins also loved bakugan, she later learned), but then again, it can also take out some of the energy within the body.

"Yeah, me too." Pyxunoid agreed with her whole-heartily. He hovered over to her bed and landed softly on the covers. "But the party's so much fun…"

Eugene allowed her eyes to slowly close for a bit as her mind wandered off. Just when she was about to completely fall asleep, however, an irritating question kept invading her head, which forced her to be awake again. "Pyxus, can I ask you something?" Pyxus was the nickname she came up for him; sometimes she would use his real name, but other than that, she would use this name instead.

The Ventus bakugan sighed but he decided to go for it. "Ok, fine…. what is it?"

"How come Emma, Shauna, and Tanya all got boyfriends while I haven't?"

Pyxunoid, or rather, Pyxus, was surprisingly taken back at this question; obviously, as a bakugan, he didn't know a lot about human relationships (although they could've been similar to courting/mating rituals back in New Vestroia, Neathia, and Gundalia), but at least he understood what his partner felt right now; he could sense loneliness with a hint of sadness and… jealousy? He knew Eugene wasn't the jealous type, as she wanted them happy, so why would she ask such a thing..?

"I think it is because fate decided to connect them together. It wants them happy so… it lures them together. Possibly for all eternity." He finally said after considering the most acceptable answer he could make. Although he wasn't actually sure if that sort of thing can really happen, it might as well be possible for both bakugan and humans, just like the bonds they share as friends, partners, and companions.

"That does kinda make sense… I just wished it also happened to me. Even if I end up with one of the brawlers or some other guy, that would be totally awesome. And even if he's from Earth or not, at least I'll be-" Eugene's words were interrupted by the sounds of Pyxus closing up his ball form and lightly breathing as he slept. She would've been irritated at him for doing that while she was speaking, but since he was also tired, she just smiled and stroked him instead. Besides, he looked so cute like this. Then, after settling back into the covers and listening to the clock's _tick_-_tock tick-tock _sounds, she finally fell back to sleep…

* * *

As of now, a week had passed here in Wonderland. At the moment, Skylark now had an engagement party to deal with. Already he was dreading this event, as he did not want to face the woman who he had once foolishly tried to befriend and to 'court'. He wasn't completely sure when was the last time he spoke to Marina, let alone saw her, but he was definitely certain that he will not do anything with her as long as he lived. But now thanks to that invitation he received just a week ago, he will now be one step closer to… being engaged to her. And then after marriage and his real coronation, not only will she become a queen and her wife, he will end up as her king and her… husband.

The carriage that carried him now transported him outside the central area of Wonderland and into Wabe Forest, where Marina and her father lived. There, densely packed trees and strange-looking plants and talking flowers grew. A couple unusual creatures, such as the Bandersnatch, toves, and borogoves, also lived there. Although it was normally dim in Wabe Forest, as the trees covered most of the skies, there were chances that the party would actually be held in a sunlit area somewhere, where it would be more pleasant this way.

While on journey (as it would take him approximately 1-2 hours to get there), he tried to regain some sleep he lost from earlier. Throughout the days from last week leading until this particular day, Marina's face kept haunting him, possibly too much for a mad person to take. As he desperately tried to replace her image with somebody else, he saw a familiar raven-haired girl in his mind instead…

* * *

"YOU'RE GOING DOWN! YA HEAR ME?!"

Eugene let out a frustrated growl as she saw her opponent's bakugan currently taking over as the victor and returning to ball form. Here in Earth, a week had also passed since Emma's birthday party and she wascurrently challenged by Shuji to a bakugan brawl, this one using the traditional method (as in, using the gate cards to activate the field and such). From what she heard from Dan, he often changes attributes whenever he was battling, meaning that he was probably what people call them 'rainbow brawlers' (they would use more than one bakugan attribute in battle). So far, they were tied, winning two battles each, but if Eugene could just win the last one, then she would win…

"Yeah, I heard you. But _you_'_re_ the one who's going down!" She shot back from the other side. Turning to Pyxus, who was resting on her palm and trying to catch his breath, she asked him, "Feeling better yet? You look kinda tired."

"Yes, I'm fine." Pyxus said before closing himself up. "I'm ready."

"Ok! Bakugan brawl! Pyxunoid stand!" Eugene threw the Ventus bakugan into one of her remaining gate cards and as he landed, a bright green light flashed and he came out in his true form. Pyxus was a humanoid bakugan with pale green angel-like wings, sharp black nails, and various weapons strapped onto his clothing-like body, resembling an assassin straight from heaven.

Shuji had already thrown out his bakugan, but the one currently in the field was the kind she was unfamiliar with. Whatever it was, it appeared to have huge jaws, a massive body, sharp-looking claws, and a loud, shrill cry… it still looked alien to her, but maybe she could ask Marucho about it, if she could survive the battle. Its attribute was Subterra, which gave Pyxus an advantage attribute-wise, and since it cannot fly, that was another bonus.

"Ability card activate! Wind Shuriken!" Eugene yelled as the ability card glowed. Glowing green shuriken stars appeared and flew towards the enemy bakugan in Pyxus's command. Shuji's bakugan roared in pain, but it wasn't quite defeated yet…

But then again, this battle was just getting started.

* * *

"Skylark…. wake up, we're here.." The Hatter woke up to find one of the tuxedo-clad frog footmen staring at him with curious golden eyes. Leaning into the edge of the carriage, he had to reanimate his body parts before stepping out into the light; he did not realize that he had slept the entire trip away (but at least he didn't have nightmares..).

One of the lit-up portions of Wabe Forest was decorated in white paper lanterns, tiny blood rubies in strings, pale red streamers, silver bows, and blood red roses. There were also lace-covered umbrellas stuck onto circular glass tables, metallic silver chairs with a floral design at the back, and what appeared to be an elaborate-looking gazebo complete with a tiered roof. People (there weren't a lot of creatures or bakugan attending, other than those attending as servants or the staff) were either dancing with slow delicacy or quietly gossiping with each other, sipping their drinks between lines of conversation.

"_This doesn't look too bad_, _for an event like this_." Skylark mused a bit while examining the atmosphere of the party; despite the real reason _why _it was taking place, he had to admit that it actually reminded him a little of the royal parties held by the Red King, especially those during Frabjous Day, only a little quieter and a tad bit sophisticated. Ah, how he missed spinning around the hat-topped maypole and twisting its multi-coloured ribbons, and futterwacken vigorously with the various people surrounding him as they danced with passion and energy…

"Wow! Don't you look good for someone who's going to be my future husband!" A voice suddenly broke the semi-silent air. Skylark turned around and saw none other than the familiar face of the woman he met years ago.

Marina was wearing an expensive-looking pale red dress with sparkles flowing and a white beaded belt to accent her waist. It resembled a cocktail dress, but with more elaborate detailing. She also wore sheer stockings that looked like they were made by hand and her black shiny heels, which were trimmed with gold and blood rubies, clicked along the tiled pavement as she came towards him. Her red curls bounced at the pace of her movement.

"…_For the love of Wonderland_..!_" _Skylark thought to himself, at loss of proper words. She looked incredibly beautiful even after all these years, but he still had no intentions on marrying this artificial human. "Hi Marina. You look lovely today..." Skylark tried his very best to sound like he actually meant it, but found it more difficult than intended. However, Marina did seem to buy it as he smiled widely and took his arm and lead him away from the party area.

Skylark grew confused at the sudden change of location. Wasn't the party supposed to be outside? His questions would soon be answered as they entered Marina's huge mansion. From where she could be taking him, perhaps the proposal would take place both indoors _and_ outdoors. Marina led him down a long white hallway with many doors leading to unknown rooms, making Skylark wonder if he was actually going to an engagement party or a medieval torture chamber for breaking her heart. He wasn't entirely sure, but he certainly did not want the latter.

Marina soon led him into a huge section of the mansion, which turned out to be the most gigantic ballroom he had ever seen. Five crystal chandeliers hung around the ceiling, making a circle. The walls were painted with portraits of fairies and angels in the sky, men and women holding each other's hands whilst dancing, and puffy white clouds surrounding the sun. Domed glass windows surrounded their way all over the walls and made their way up the ceiling.

"Where are all the dancers? And where is your father?" Skylark asked, after realizing that nobody else was in this room but them.

"They should be here right about now." Said Marina. She tapped her foot impatiently when she heard the sound of doors opening. Her father, Reginald Crimm Sr., came inside along with a huge orchestra filled with flute players, violinists, and cellists. Following them were what seemed to be a thousand dancers, each dressed in clothing that were reminiscent of certain eras in Earth, varying from the 1600s to Neo Victorian. Women had on dresses in varying colours and designs and the men wore elegant dance clothes that tailored to their body size and appearance, all the way down to their polished shoes. Again, the styles were also eclectic considering the style and time period.

All of the dancers stood in the empty clearing, facing their neighbors and bowing to each other before returning their gazes to their partners and starting to dance, a couple violins and cellos playing a soft yet brisk song at the same time by the orchestra, the flutes soon following after. He recognized this dance as the Wonderlander's Quadrille; unlike its livelier cousin, the Lobster Quadrille, this particular dance is more refined and sophisticated, as well as controlled in movement.

Skylark took Marina's hand and led her over to the dance floor, trying to follow some of the dancer's graceful movements. Marina then slid her left hand to the right side of his waist and Skylark took her other hand, interlacing their fingers together. Pretty soon, Skylark was copying each of the dancer's movements awkwardly and unprofessionally. He had done this kind of dance a couple times, but it was actually tougher to do in her presence. He did his very best to keep up with the other dancers at the Wonderlander's Quadrille, but he found this more difficult than he originally thought. And he was the one who danced the futterwacken; how could a simple quadrille be this hard?!

"_This is ridiculous! I hope your plan works, Jumbo." _Skylark thought as he continued dancing. Suddenly, the music stopped and the dancers clapped their hands together in a nonchalant tone. Marina, on the other hand, was clapping her hands together and moving her arms around in a fashion that made her look as if she had just won all of Wonderland's riches. Maybe she was just in an overexcited state, or perhaps she was just happy that he danced with her.

"Wasn't that amazing, Skylark? We had to have a dance before we entered the courtyard for the big party. It's a tradition with my family, you see. Wait until father makes the official announcement," Marina said. However, Skylark would not be around much longer for any activities or some official announcement. He just wanted to get out of here, for his own (in)sanity. And his mad senses were telling him that she would propose to him at some point…

"This sounds lovely, Marina, but I'm afraid something came up." Marina cocked her head at the sound of the unexpected response. Everyone else, on the other hand, looked rather confused. "It turns out that before you sent me that letter, I'm already engaged to someone else." He tried his best to explain. "She is a lot more free-spirited and less, uh… sophisticated?" Now he cannot fully comprehend what he was saying anymore, as he was on the verge of rambling. He cannot take it. "Anyways, I am truly sorry for this, but it has to be this way. I just… I just don't want to see us being together!"

With a quick flash and a bow, Skylark was now running down the long white hallway and back into the courtyard. He did not even stick around to see the look on Marina's face and quite frankly, he did not want to. All that mattered right now was getting out of this place and focusing on Jumbo's plan. With his eyes set in motion, he rushed out of the party area and into the inner forests of Wabe, not even bothering to look back as he ran away.

* * *

The Subterra bakugan kept attacking the Ventus bakugan non-stop, and then charged forward, tackled Pyxus high in the air. It pinned his arms and wings down to the ground, unable to escape or to attack. "Your little bakugan can't escape now!" Shuji cried out, laughing an evil laugh as he saw Pyxus struggling to fight; Shuji's bakugan was actually smarter than he and Eugene thought, as it caught him completely off-guard.

"Oh yeah?! Well, at least I got my-" Eugene dug around in the pale pink pouch tied to the belt loop, searching for one of Pyxus's other ability cards, Soaring Kunai, but to her surprise, the bag was empty; there were no more ability cards left. No Soaring Kunai, no Shard Shield, nothing; she used up all of them (and she forgot Mecha Aerial Fighter at home). An uneasy feeling rose in her stomach. "Uh-oh…"

"Wh-What's wrong?" The Ventus bakugan asked nervously as he struggled against the opponent's clutches of death.

"I'm running low on ability cards!"

"So?"

"You'll end up defeated!"

"Then find something! Anything! I can't- GYAH!" Pyxunoid tried to say as Shuji's bakugan tried to bash out at him. "I can't hold on much longer…" He managed to dodge with a cock of his head, but the next attempts had hit him hard.

* * *

Eugene searched through other places like her vest pocket and other hidden places in the bag, but she cannot find anything that would withstand Shuji's bakugan. At least until she found a lone card bulging out of the back of one of the jean shorts' pocket, which made her sigh a little in relief. The card itself had unusually elaborate patterns, the small silver tendrils and flowers weaving intricate patterns, grasping the azure blue spade in the center. She could even see a silhouette of another person moving in the card, but it was probably just a trick of the light. She just hoped it would be good enough to defeat that _babo_ from across her… she could sense his smirk at he imagined her weak and helpless and she wanted to get rid of it. Even if that card was deadly, she just had to win, no matter what she might face afterwards…

Skylark didn't exactly know how long did he ran, nor if he knew the direction he took to get away, but he was too focused on _not_ accepting Marina's wretched proposal and to escape. Even if everybody else saw him running off like that and wanted to stop him, he didn't really care about how they felt about this sudden reaction. Monarch or not, that didn't stop him from continuing to run. Besides, he didn't care what kind of consequences he might end up with. Not one bit. At least not many people knew about his eventual title yet…

* * *

"_Why is this place so confusing_?! _Even Tulgey Woods isn_'_t like this_…" He kept thinking as he tried to navigate between trees, fallen logs, and other obstacles. Perhaps it wasn't such a good idea, announcing that he already had a fake engagement to somebody else and then running away (he'll _really_ need to talk to Jumbo about this, as he was the one who came up with the idea; how was _this_ considered to be a way out of this marriage?!), but what choice did he had; he didn't want to marry Marina, let alone being engaged to her. Still, at least it gave him time to get away from everyone else to clear his head. Without getting rid of his madness, of course.

After what seemed like endless miles of running, he finally made it to his destination; the densest part of Wabe Forest. Since he was so far away from the engagement party, he was now completely certain that nobody was coming after him. His running was now shortened into a walk now that he was out of the way. Now that he was in a spot so thick of trees and other plants, perhaps it would impassable to those who would even try to catch a glimpse of him.

While continuing to weave around the trees as he walked, he wondered about what will happen to him now that he told Marina about the so-called 'engagement' to somebody else. He hoped that she would leave him alone and find another suitor to secure her riches and fulfill her twisted needs… but he didn't exactly tell her _who_ he was referring to. Did he even know any other women around here? Well, he did know a couple, but if he mentioned any of their names, there would be chances of them being tortured or even worse, beheaded, a punishment plunging them into a quick and instant death. He didn't want them to suffer like this, nor did he want to allow another form of corrupt dictatorship to ruin Wonderland again. Even so, there was only one girl that he wanted to marry…

Something bright and shiny distracted him, possibly a pound coin or a new teacup, but it was too big. Whenever he took a few steps forward or went backwards, the flash of light would keep blocking his vision. Even if he hid from it, he couldn't escape from its blinding wrath. Curious of what caused the light, he peaked from behind a Tumtum tree and squinted at its direction.

As he looked closer, he noticed that the tall oak trees and weeping willows were forming two perfectly straight lines, as if they were clearing up to make a path. This caught his attention since trees would not be perfectly aligned like this; most of the flora here in Wonderland would be planted in unusual arrangements or patterns, never prim and proper in straight lines or neat and orderly rows (unless if you counted those growing in gardens). He could also spy a lone sundial resting on a small hill, where one side was weathered and worn out by the rain. Grass plots surrounded it like a fairy ring. But then he noticed something shimmering behind it, leaning between the dense trees that protected it.

After a couple more steps once reaching the sundial, he finally came to something that made his gasp in awe. In front of him, there was a huge glass mirror in the center of the wooded area that the trees surrounded. However, Skylark grew confused; what was a huge mirror doing out here in the middle of Wabe Forest? Although unusual objects would appear frequently at times, this was no ordinary mirror. It was incredibly tall, possibly twice his height, and had the most curious-looking frame. Hearts in shades of cherry red, spades in sapphire blue, spring green clubs, and liquid gold-coloured diamonds dotted the tips of geometric veins that glowed with a pale rainbow light. The background was a faded black, but it possessed a soft metallic sheen reminiscent to freshly-polished armor. Tiny clocks, numbers, cards, chess pieces, teacups, and letters were scattered near the edges of the glass while the black parts appeared to be chipped off, as if they were dissolving into the mirror. At the bottom of the frame were words written in silver cursive, which said the following:

**The Looking Glass**

The Looking Glass…. he had heard many rumours about it, but he'd never thought that it would actually be here in Wabe Forest! And now there he was, standing right in front of it and awestruck at its presence. Not many had ever encountered it, let alone figured out its purpose. But why was it here, he wondered. And what was it even used for…? Now even more curious, he bravely leaned closer to the Looking Glass so that he could try to touch it..

But before he could even dare to do it, he caught a glimse of hazy splotches of pale pink, lemon yellow, peridot green, turquoise, rose red, iris purple, neon orange, and chocolate brown reflected on the glass. He also saw glimmering flashes, and four shadowy figures. Two of them, he recognized, were bakugan. One appeared to be an angel-like humanoid bakugan while the other was a little unrecognizable but it did remind him of either a Saurus, an Anchorsaur, or a Juggernoid. The other two were humans, the only ones he could see very clearly. There was a teenage boy, dressed in a light orange vest, a baggy shirt in pale yellow, black slacks, and equally black shoes with white laces. Opposite of him was a girl possibly younger than him, decked in a violet short-sleeved zip-up vest with lavender and hot pink stars, silvery gray knee-length pants, and purple shoes with unusually patterned laces. She also had a cherry blossom pink pouch on her right, with an elaborate-looking charm oddly similar to the red one on his hat. A determined look was on the girl's face while the boy opposite of her appeared to be smug and arrogant. He cannot fully recognize them, but somehow the girl looked strangely familiar…

* * *

"Ok Shuji, prepare to be defeated!" Eugene yelled out, preparing the unusual ability card for play. Even though its name was really weird to have for a bakugan ability, she was more worried if it was powerful enough to defeat Shuji's bakugan or if it even worked…

"Oh yeah? And how are ya gonna do that, babe?" Shuji sneered. "You know that you and your puny bakugan can't beat me!"

"_Yeah_, _right_." She found herself rolling her eyes at his words; Shuji was a total showoff and she couldn't let him win that easily. Focusing on the brawl, she allowed the card into play.

"Ability card activate- GAH!" She started to say, but before she could even get to saying the ability's name, a loud explosion echoed in the battlefield and sent them flying back by sheer force, while an intense flash in violent shades of lavender, violet, and midnight blue almost blinded both her and Shuji….

* * *

All of a sudden, as his fingers came in contact with the cool surface of the Looking Glass, blinding lights in pale rainbow colours sparked up and he found himself being pulled down by gravity…

It felt hotter in the air than he anticipated, but that did not stop him from realizing what was now happening to him…

He felt a huge tug on his arm and attempted to wrench the invisible force away. But it was too strong, too tough to resist, as it kept forcing him to come closer to its depths. He did not remember anything else after that, but he did recall seeing Wabe Forest disappearing into colourful smoke before the surroundings got sped-up and out of focus. Sensing the quicksilver force pulling him forward, he screamed in sudden fear. Then he cannot remember anything else after that for a few moments, as he passed out, his vision turning black with darkness…

* * *

She didn't remember what happened afterwards, but she did see Shuji running around in fear and his bakugan crying out in agony before escaping into its ball form. It was so loud and scary, she had to plug her ears and close her eyes due to panic. The destruction felt like it could last forever, never stopping in its wake. But luckily, it didn't; the chaotic environment finally settled down and everything now went deathly quiet. She uncovered both her eyes and ears now that it was over.

"Ugh…. what happened?" Eugene found herself muttering after the dark-coloured flash and the deafening noises were gone. Blinking wearily, she stared at the now-damaged battlefield and noticed Shuji gazing around the place in panic. The floor was bruised by various craters and dents in all shapes and sizes and dust clouded the atmosphere. This was unlike anything she was used to in battle, not even when she battled in Bakugan City or Bakugan Interspace. It was never _this_ violent, she observed, unless if she counted the days before Dan and Drago accidently ended up with Zenthon, their first Mechtogan. She could never find Pyxusin these surroundings but…

"Pyxunoid?" Eugene started to yell out, worry and fear absorbing in her mind as she tried to find her partner. "Pyxus, where are you?!"

"I'm…. so tired…." A groan was heard at your response; Pyxus wasn't defeated! Or dead! Her spirits started to lift up and she felt relieved.

"Pyxus! You're alive! Yay!" She cheered as she ran over to hug him in his current ball form. He felt a little hot to the touch, but she found that she didn't mind it; she was too happy to find him alive and safe. The embrace was momentary, however, as Shuji suddenly passed out with exhaustion and trauma, his bakugan curled up in his fist. A loud groan escaped from his lips, as well as the final words,

"You… win…." A gag came out next, followed by some gurgling and a high-pitched note.

And then he went unconscious.

Eugene grinned at Shuji's weak yet official declaration of defeat; she and Pyxunoid won! Allowing herself to smirk, she said, "_Arigato_. And good night~"

* * *

Time restarted and everything was in motion again as the battlefield disappeared, with the victor heading for home. The clocks resumed their slumber and started ticking while the sun went down to the other side of the world, finally earning its departure in Japan. As the skies were painted with soft tones with fuchsia pink, lilac purple, and sun-kissed orange, daytime slowly transformed itself into nighttime and everything was in its quiet, peaceful state.

…Or was it?

The first thing Skylark remembered when he _did_ manage to wake up was falling down, down, down…

The depths from the inside of the Looking Glass appeared to be deeper than he originally thought, as he didn't expect the fall to be so fast and time-consuming. But then again, weren't all the rabbit holes Absalom created were supposed to be like this? He wasn't sure, but his head hurt just thinking about it. Not all of them were meant to create panic and fear, but still, this was the first time he had ever experienced such a long fall.

Everything was too fast, too blurry… he half-hoped that he wouldn't die once he landed.

The next thing he knew, Skylark found himself underground with a few twinkling lights and many complex pipes decorating the walls. The rest of the place was full of dark brown earth and remains of what appeared to be dark gray stone. It looked like the inside of Absalom's residential rabbit holes, but it wasn't this dark and empty. Neither was it full of metal invading the walls or dripping water from leaked from above. He didn't get hurt from the impact of the fall, but he didn't exactly end up with a good landing either. Standing up a moment later, he wiped the excess dirt off his jacket and his hat. This strange place was unfamiliar to him, but he assumed that he must be at the center of the world. Or so he thought, anyway.

He saw light from the ceiling above him, the soft white rays shining down from the stone-encrusted hole. As curiosity got to him, he wondered if that hole actually led to anywhere but here. But then again, if there was light up there, then it must lead to the surface. He tried to leap up to get the hole at first, but he cannot reach it no matter how he jumped. Then he decided to climb there by using the neighboring pipes, but they didn't actually extend to his destination, which made his second plan futile. Then again, the metal in which the pipes were made weren't sturdy enough.

Other attempts followed, but nothing worked. Just when he was on the verge of giving up, however, he spotted a thin metal ladder leading up to the hole. Without hesitation, he immediately ran over to the ladder and started to climb up towards the light.

The surface of the ground from where the hole came from was covered in a thin stone-like surface, rather than grass, dirt, tiles, or wood in which he expected it to be. It felt rough to the touch, but he didn't mind it, for he was more focused on the scenery displayed in front of him; it was a place unlike anything he had ever expected to see in his life.

Almost all of the ground was covered in those strange gray stones, except for a few exceptional areas covered in a bright green grass (which appeared inky black due to darkness). He saw many buildings; almost all of them were reaching the midnight blue skies and the pearly white moon above him, appearing to be higher than the palace and the tallest houses in Wonderland. A few shorter buildings also occupied the area, only towering to a few floors. They all appeared to be made of plaster, glass, or stone, rather than the usual wood or brick (but at least there were also some houses made of stone). The windows were all illuminated from the inside and dotted the surface, as it was nighttime. There weren't a lot of trees here, but he did spy a few of them covered in small pink flowers that he somehow recognized. Cherry blossoms, perhaps? The rest of them either had bare branches or small buds waiting to be bloomed in a moment's grasp. The citizens living in this strange, unusual land passed by him with raised eyebrows and suspicious looks, but other than that, they did nothing in his presence. Farther away, he could see brightly coloured lights in all shapes andsizes flashing and flaunting their vibrancy at people's eyes. They might've been electric lights, like the ones Wonderlanders were currently trying to improve, but they appeared to be too complex to figure out their source of power, so he wasn't exactly sure. Loud noises echoed out into the outskirts of the city and into the place he was now standing in.

But wherever he was now, everything was unfamiliar to him. He didn't know this place so he wasn't sure where he was...

All of a sudden, he heard a loud voice from behind; something immense and made of metal was about to run him over. Startled at the noise it made, he dashed out of the way and ran…

* * *

JinxWriter: Here it is, everyone! The second chapter! Sorry it took us so long to get it up, but a certain someone's inspiration decided to fade away…again! =_=

**ShunKazamis-Girl: Yeah, and according to her, that sucks. ? At least mine didn't. Ok, while reading this story, keep in mind that JinxWriter may have used similar names that are similar to her OCs from another story she wrote, which was "Feelings for a Guardian". Don't rant about it, 'cuz THEY'RE DIFFERENT PEOPLE. For more information about her OCs, ask her in a PM. Also, if you watched Tim Burton's version of Alice in Wonderland (she got her inspiration there), you may have recognized some of the scenes in this story and the last one.**

Disclaimer: We also don't own Alice in Wonderland (the story, Disney's, Tim Burton's, etc…), the poem Jabberwocky (there's some references there), Through the Looking Glass, or any of the related works belonging to the creators.

**Translations:**

_Kawaii – _Cute (Japanese)

_Babo_ (?) – Idiot (Korean), but can also mean other insults like fool, imbecile, twit, etc…

_Arigato_ – Thank you (Japanese)


End file.
